Draw works



June 20,1944. noum 2,351,851

DRAW worms Filed April 25, 1941 7 Sheet s-Sheet 1 Jun'ZiO, 1944. FI.,JV.IY.OUNG 2,351,851,

DRAW WORKS Filed April 25. 1941 7 Sheets-Sheet 2 JunZO, 1944. i F. J.'YIQUII\IGI 2,351,851

DRAW WORKS Filed April 25. 1941 7 Sheet-Sheet s T0 CLUTCH 6 10 COUPLING J0 June F. J. YOUNG 2,351,851

DRAW WORKS Filed April 25, 1941' 7 Sheets-Sheet 4 yr a y J ne 20, 1944. F. YOUNG 2,35l;85 1

' v DRAW WORKS Filed April 25, 1941 7 Sheets-Sheet 5 June 20, 1944. U G' v 2,351,851

DRAW WORKS Filed April 25, 1941 7 Sheets-Sheet 6 June'20,1944. F c m 2,351,851

DRAW WORKS I Filed April 25, 1941 7 Sheets-Sheet 7 a, z a a; /3/. a I I I c? 14 Ma *2" I a a V a. //0 a0 /3 lll Patented June 20, 1944 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE nmiw worms Forrest J. Young, Los Angeles, Calif., assignor to The National Supply Company, Pittsburgh, Pa., a corporation of Pennsylvania Application April 25, 1941, Serial No. 390,318

This invention relates to rotary drilling appa- I 9 Claims.

ratus as used in the drilling of wells, and is more particularly directed to a drawworks of high ca-' pacity adapted for the handling of heavy loads incident to the drilling of deep wells, and which drawworks has great flexibility requisite for high speed operation. I

In the drilling of wells utilizing a bit or cutter at the end of a drill string which may be many thousand feet in length, a great portion of the time of operation of the drilling rig is used up in the making up and breaking apart of the drill string for the purpose of changing cutters, drills, or the like. i

A particular bit or drill may have a life of only a few hours necessitating the withdrawal of the same from the formation for replacement, resharpening or repair. The drill string is made up of sections or stands of drill pipe, and these sections or stands are in the neighborhood of 90 feet in length and are ordinarily threaded together.

In order to obtain speed of operation in making up and breaking down such long drill strings,

great flexibility in speed of operation of the hoisting mechanism or drawworks is required. Without such flexibility of operation the time required for the bringing of worn or broken bit to the surface for replacement and then lowering it back into the hole, may actually exceed the time spent with the bit on bottom.

It is therefore an object of this invention to provide a drawworks of high capacity for the handling of heavy loads for deep well drilling and providing a maximum of flexibility for high speed operation.

Another object of this invention is to provide a drawworks having a novel form of change speed transmission drive permitting the required operation of the drilling rig with greater facility and utilizing to better advantage the speed changes provided through such transmission.

. Another object of this invention is to provide I a drawworks .of this type wherein rotation of the spooling drum and rotary machine for normal rig operations may be controlled solely by alternate actuation of two friction clutches.

Another object of this invention is to provide- .a drawworks wherein separate control devices are provided for the spooling or hoisting drum and the rotary machine and which control devices include means whereby the position of a positive coupling element renders only one of the control devices operative at a time.

Another object of 'this'invention isto provide a drawworks including a friction clutch and dual control means for operating the clutch and including interlocking means whereby only one of the control means is operable at one time.

, Other objects and advantages of this invention it is believed will be apparent from the following detailed description of a preferred embodiment thereof as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a diagrammatic plan view of a rotary drilling rig and illustrating the drawworks embodying my invention.

Figure 2 is an enlarged plan view partly in section thereof.

Figure 3 is a diagrammatic plan of the control means embodied in my invention.

Figure 4 is an enlarged detail view of the control valve illustrating the same as moved to a second position. t

Figure 5 is an enlarged sectional elevation of the low speed lineshaft clutch embodied in my invention.

Figure 6 is a sectional elevation of the line shaft high speed friction clutch means embodying my invention.

Figure 7 is a sectional viewof a. portion of the drumshaft assembly showing the arrangement of parts for selectively driving the spooling drum or the power take-01f sprocket.

Figure 8 is a plan view of the hoisting drum control means embodying my invention.

Figure 9 is a sectional view taken substantially on the line 9-9 of Figure 8. I

Figure 10 is a sectional view taken substantially on the line ill-l0 of Figure 8.

Figure 11 is a sectional view taken substantially on the line ll ll of Figure 9.

Figure 12 is an enlarged sectional view taken substantially on the line i2-|2 of Figure 9.

Figure 13 is a sectional elevation of the control means taken on the line |3l3 of Figure 8.

Figure 14 is a plan view of the rotary machine and drumshaft selective drive control means embodied in my invention.

Figure 15 is a plan section illustrated in Figure 14. I

In the-preferred embodiment of my invention as illustrated in the accompanyin drawings, the drilling rig includes a rotary machine A which may be of any suitable or desirable construction well understood in the art, a, drawworks unit B, and an engine or motor C for driving the drawworks B and the rotary machine A through the drawworks B.

The drawworks unit B includes a drumshaft l driven through a transmission unit D through the medium of a pair of transmission drives 2 and 3 from the lineshaft 4 of the said transmission unit D.

of the structure threaded joint.

The rotary machine A is driven through the medium of a transmission connection selectively clutched to or unclutched from the transmission drive 2. The transmission drives 2 and 3 are respectively the high and low speed drives from the lineshaft 4 and eachdrive includes a friction clutch, i. e., the friction clutch B for the transmission drive 2 and the friction clutch 9 for the transmission drive 3.

The construction and control of the drawworks unit B is such as to enable normal hoisting and lowering operations to be controlled solely by the alternate actuation of the friction clutches 8 and 9.

In handling of extremely heavy drill strings, it is essential that during the lifting operations of such heavy drill strings that the low speed drive for the drum ll be utilized in order to permit the transmission of a sufiicient torque to the shaft 1 to carry out the lifting operations. The use of the low speed drive of course results in a very slow travel of the line reeled on the drum I I. When the load is not of such magnitude as to require the use 'of such a slow speed drive, it is essential, in order to-carry out the rapid operation of the drilling rig, to provide for the easy change of the drive from the slow to the high speed.

Where the hoisting is being carried out at considerable depth, this requires the transmission of the maximum torque through the shaft l'to rotate the spooling drum H. In order to thus transmit this maximum torque, the controls are actuated so that the drive from the engine C through the transmission unit D and the lineshaft 4 thereof is through the transmission connection 3 through the friction clutch 9 to the drumshaft I, thus enabling the heavy drill string to be raised, beginning the operation known in the art as coming out of the hole."

When the drilling string has been raised the length of a stand, it is necessary to uncouple the stand from the drill string or to break the This requires operation of the rotary machine A and the breaking out of the threaded joint is accomplished by repositioning the slips in the rotary machine to support the drill string. These slips may be of the type illustrated in Figure 5 in the copending application of Forrest J. Young, Serial No. 201,349, filed April 11, 1938.

With the slips in place and supporting the weight of the drill string, the threaded Joint is broken by use of the automatic cathead 83 in the manner well known in the art. The friction clutch 8 is then engaged to operate the drives 2 and 5 and hence cause the rotary machine to complete unscrewing of the threaded joint. The single stand is then raised free of the drill string by engaging the friction clutch 9, and is set down on one end on the derrick floor. The hoisting block is then disengaged from the stand and is allowed to fall by gravityas the line unreels from the drum H.

It will be noted that in my construction the drum and drumshaft may turn freely without requiring rotation of any of the drivin sprockets or chains upon release of the brake bands carried over the brake rims M and it. When the block reaches its lowest position, the brakes are again applied and a connection is made between the block and the upper end of the drill string. The

friction clutch 9 is then engaged to raise the drill string another stand so that the operations may be repeated. It will thus be apparent that the operations required for coming out of the hole require alternate rotation of the drum H and operation of the rotary machine A, and these operations are effected solely by alternate actuation of the clutches 9- and 8.

In the operation of going into the hole the chain drive 2 is disconnected from the rotary drive 5 and clutched directly to the drumshaft I. The bit is connected to the lower end of the first stand and is lowered into the hole and is held in such position by means of the slips in the rotary machine A. The block is then disconnected from the first stand. The unloaded block .is then raised at high speed by engaging the friction clutch 8, thereby driving the drum H through the high speed drive As is customary in this art the traveling block on reaching the upper end of a second stand is quickly connected thereto, and the stand is swung out over the rotary machine as the block continues in its upward travel. The second stand is threadedly connectedwith the first stand in the usual manner through the medium of the use of the cathead' l3. It is then necessary to raise the drill string slightly to release the slips which support the lower section of the drill string in the rotary machine A.

In order to accomplish this, the air-operated friction clutch 9 is engaged to cause the drum to reel in a short length of cable. The slips are then removed, the clutch 9 is released, and the connected sections are allowed to descend by gravity through the rotary machine into the well hole. When the upper end of the top section approaches the rotary table, the slips are reset and the connection between the traveling block and this section is again released. The clutch 8 is clude the drumshaft' i, cathead shaft l2, lineshaft jackshaft 2i and driveshaft 22. Each of these shafts is supported by a common frame illustrated at 23 (Figure 2) by suitably spaced bearings.

The driveshaft 22 is driven from the engine 0 by means of a chain connection trained over the multiple chain drive sprocket 2 3 secured to the shaft 22. Means are provided for effecting a forward and reverse drive between the drive shaft 22 and jackshaft 2i, which means includes fixed sprockets 25 and 26 and a sprocket 2i journaled on the shaft 22 together with a gear 28 secured to the shaft 22. The gear 28 meshes with the gear 29 journaled on the shaft 28 and is adapted to be releasably clutched thereto by means of a clutch 3B. The sprockets 25, 26 and mon clutch member 34 adapted to selectively clutch either sprocket 38 or 32 to the shaft 29. The sprocket 33 is secured to" the shaft 2i.

A clutch 35 is provided for releasably clutching the high speed drive sprocket 271 to the drive shaft the shafts zzhnd 2|. Secured to the Jackshaft 2| are the lineshaft high and low speed sprockets 36 and 31, respectively, whichare aligned. with companion multiple chain sprockets 38 and 99 mounted on the lineshaft 4.

A spline coupling member 40 is mounted upon the lineshaft 4 in position to engage selectively either sprocket 38 or 39 with the lineshaft 4. It will thus be apparent that the lineshaft 4 may be driven forwardly at any one of six selective speeds, and two speeds in reverse.

Low and high speed multiple chainsprockets 4i and 42 are journaled on the lineshaft 4 to align withthe drumshaft sprockets and 44 to efiect the drives through the medium of chain connections. The sprocket '42 is releasably clutched to the lineshaft 4 through the medium of the high speed friction clutch 8 and the sprocket 4! is releasably coupled to the shaft 4 through the medium of a spline coupling 46. The sprocket 43 is journaled on the drumshaft I and is adapted to be releasably coupled to the drumshaft I through the medium of the low speed friction clutch 9. I

The high speed friction clutch 8 may be of any suitable or desirable construction but is herein illustrated in Figure 6 as including a housing member 50 having a sleeve section 5| upon gagement with the friction plates 53 through the medium of a movable clutch plate'5I to effect upon which the sprocket is formed and which sleeve ,is Journaled on spaced" bearings 88 upon internal spline teeth I8 and a driving collar I4 secured to the shaft I isprovided with external splines I5.

-A selective drive spline collar I6 is provided with internal spline teeth 1! and external spline teeth I8. The internal spline teeth I'I engage complementary external splines on the reduced.

section I9 of the-sleeve 4'8. The length of the spline I1 is such as to maintain the same at all times in engagement with theexternal splines of the reduced section I9 of the sleeve 48 to permit the coupling collar I6 to be moved to wintermediate position where the spline I1 is out, of engagement with the spline teeth I5 and where the spline teeth I8 are out of engagement with the internal spline teeth I3 of the drive member I2 or to, permit the selective engagement of either such pairs of drive splines..-

A disconnecting self-aligning coupling I5 is provided between the fluid brake I6 and the driving collar I4 positioned on the end of'the drumshaft I. The fluid brake I6 is connected by the internal splineson coupling IE to the drumshaft during the operation of lowering the drill string clutching of the sprocket 2 to the lineshaft 4.

Any suitable form of shifting mechanism as indicated at 58 may be employed for this operation controlled through the medium -of a movable clutch collar 59 operated through the clutch the lineshaft 4 is turning to drive the rotary.ma

chine A.

' The sprocket 4| is joumaled on spaced bearings SI upon the shaft 4 and is provided with a spline hub 62 over which an internally splined coupling collar 53 is adapted to be moved. The spline collar 63 has the elongated internal spline sprocket 85 journaled on the lineshaft 4 and 64 adapted to mesh with the splines of the hub 62 and at the same time mesh -with the external splines 65 of the coupling collar 86 which is secured to the shaft 4. The internally splined collar 63 is provided with a shifter ring annular recess 51 adapted to receive a shifter ring (not shown, but of any suitable or desirable type well understood in the art).

The low speed iriction clutch 9 may be of any suitable or desirable type, as, for example, is 11- lustrated in the co-pending application of Frank L. Gillett, Serial No. 381,476, filed March 3, 1941, issued'December 8, 1942, Patent No. 2,304,350, and is provided to selectively connect the sprocket 43 in driving relation with the drumshaft I.

The 'drumshaft coupling I0 may be of any into the hole as will be well understood by those skilled in the art.

The cathead shaft I2 is supported upon the common frame structure 23 by means of spaced bearings 8|. The opposite ends of the cathead shaft I2 carry the usual cathead I3 and an automatic cathead 83. A sprocket 84 is secured to the cathead shaft I2 and is driven through the medium of a chain from a cathead shaft drive adapted to be releasably clutched thereto through the medium of a clutch member 86.

The friction clutches 8 and s are of the air operated types and the friction clutch 9 is used for all hoisting operations except those where f i load since the speed ratio of the sprockets 42.

and 44 is such as to produce a relatively high speed lift insufficient for transmission of the torque drive to the shaft I required for the normal hoisting operations. r

In o'rder'to control the operative elements of the drawworks embodying my invention, control means are provided as diagrammatically illustrated in Figure 3. This control means is of the air actuating type for controlling the fiow of air under pressure for operating the speed clutches 8 and 9.

The control is had through treadl'es'al, 88 and 89 providing respectively for the operation of the drum II at highspeed throughoperation of the high speed clutch 8 controlled by the treadle 8i, operation of the low speed clutch 9 controlled by the treadle 89, and disconnection of the operation of the drum through the treadle 88. Treadles 90 and 9!. are provided for controlling the opera- I tion of the power takeoli sprocket 49. A selector lever 92 is provided for actuation through the suitable controls of the coupling l0.

illustrated as including the sleeve member 49 I high and low Air under pressure from any'suitable or desirable source is provided through a conduit 93 and is connected with the actuating cylinder-94 for the high speed clutch 9. The air under pressure from supply conduit 93 is also piped to drum control valve unit 95 and to power take-off control unit 99. Air lines I09 and III leading from unit 95 are connected to selector valve 91 and to air actuated friction clutch 9, respectively, while the air line IIO leading from unit 99 is connected only to the selector valve 91.

The selector lever 92 is connected by means of a link 99 with a bell-crank 99 which is pivotally supported upon a pin I00. One arm IOI of the bell crank 99 isconnected to the shifter lever I02 for the shifter collar of the spline coupling 16. Movement of the selector lever 92 thus shifts the collar 16 axially of the drumshaft I.

Connected to the arm I03 of the bell crank 99 through the medium of a link I04 is a crank.

arm I05 which in turn is secured to the plug I06 of the selector valve 91 so that actuation of the selector lever 92 determines the position of the plug I06. The plug I09 has the twopositions indicated in Figures 3 and 4 wherein the multiple ports- I01 thereof establish communication from the air pressure line I09 to the air line I09 to the cylinder 94 from the drum control unitactuated valve mechanisms for selectively controlling the flow of air to the low speed air actuated friction clutch 9, and to the power cylinder 94 for the high speed friction clutch 9. The control unit 95 includes. a'base H2 and supporting shafts H3 and 4 upon which shafts there are secured the actuating fingers II5and II9. Se-' cured to the shaft H3 is the high speed drum treadle 91. Secured to the shaft H4 is the low speed drum treadle 99.

Journaled-between the shafts m and m is the neutral drum treadle 99. Carried by the base H2 is a pivot pin II1 on which is journaled a sleeve II9 carrying valve actuating arms H9 and I20. Each of the arms I I9 and I carries a valve shifter fln'ger I2I adapted to ride in grooves I22 formed in the valve collars I23. A spring-urged pawl I24 is carried by the base II2 adapted to engage in a series of detents I25 formed in the connecting web I29 of the fingers H9 and I20.

The intermediate treadle 39 is retained in position upon the ends of the shafts H3 and H4 by means of positioning collars I21, each of which is provided with an actuating lug i29adapted to engage contacting lugs I29of the treadle 99, A stop plate I30 is formed on the base II2 to limit downward depression of the treadles. Supported in the base I I2are the control valves gen erally designated I3I and I32. The valve I3I the pressure supply 93 and its respective outlet line I09 or III. When the sleeves 123 are in the position shown in Figure 12, the exhaust ports I39 are open to atmosphere and the ports I are dead-ended into the recess within the sleeves I23.

In operation depression of the low speed treadle 99 causes the arm I20 to shift the collar I23 to establish communication between the supply pipe 93 and the line I II, causing actuation of the low speed clutch 9.

The depression of the high speed treadle 31 acts similarly on valve I3l to admit air to the line I09 which, if the selector lever 92 is in position as illustrated in Figure 3, admits air to the high speed clutch cylinder 94, causing engagement of the clutch 9. Depression of the neutral or intermediate treadle 99 results in shutting off the flow of air into lines I09 and H0, and venting these lines to atmosphere through exhaust ports I36.

Thepower take-off control unit 99 is similar in construction to controlunit 95 so that where applicable, the same numerals, with an exponent a, have been utilized to indicate a similar construction.

The valve I3" is actuated to open" position by the treadle and to "closed position by the treadle 9i. Similar supporting shafts and actusting means are interposed between the treadles 90 and 9| and the valve I3I and indicated by the same'numerals.

In operation of this control, the selector lever 92 is actuated to engage the spline coupling II with the power take-off sprocket 44. The-control valve 91 is shifted to the position indicated in Figure 4 to connect the line H0 tothe line I03.

Actuation of the rotary in" treadle 90 then cylinder 94 to return and release the high speed friction clutch 9. It will be apparent from the foregoing that only one of the control units 95 :controls the flow of air under pressure to the line I09 and the valve I32 controls vthe fliowof "air under pressure to the line I.

Valves. I3I

and I32 are a balanced type commercially obtainable, and each includes a shiftable sleeve I23 and and 99 may operate the high speed friction clutch 9 for any one setting of the selector lever 32.

drumshaft or the power take-oi! is made improbable.

' Having fully described my invention, it is to be understood that! do not wish to be limited to the details herein set forth, but my invention is of the full scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In'a rotary drawworks, the combination of v a drumsha'ft assembly comprising a drum mounted on a drumshaft, a lineshaft,- a driven element clutch on said lineshaft'. a single positive coupling element adapted to engage said driven element in driving relation with said drumshait assembly, orto engage said driven element with said power take-ofl element, and means to actuate said lineshait friction clutch for driving either the drumshaft assembly or the power take-cit element as required.

2. In a rotary drilling rig including a drawworks having a lineshaft, a drumshaft, and a drum on the drumshaft, the combination of a sleeve rotatably mounted coaxially of the drumshaft, a driven element fixed on said sleeve, a

' releasable transmission connection between the single positive coupling element slidable axially of said drumshaft and adapted to place the driven element in direct driving relation with either the power take-ofi element or the hub.

3. In a rotary drilling rig including a drawworks having a lineshaft, a drumshaft, and a drum on the drumshait, the combination of means whereby the lineshaft may drive the drum including a'clutch on the drumshait in driving relation with said drum, a driven element rotatably mounted coaxially of the drumshait, means whereby the lineshait may drive said driven element including a friction clutch on the lineshaft, a power take-oil element rotatably mounted coaxially of the drumshait, and a positive coupling element adapted at one time to remain in one position to connect the driven. element with the drumshaft during the operation of going in the hole, and adapted at another time to remain in another position to connect the driven element with the power take-oi! element during the operation of coming out of the hole, whereby. the required rotation of the drum and power take-oi! element incident to either operation may be accomplished solely by alternate actuation of said selectively operable to place the driven element in driving relation with either the power take-oil element or the drum, a power cylinder operable by fluid pressure for actuating said friction clutch, drum control means for admitting fluid pressure to said power cylinder, power take-01f. control means for admitting fluid pressure to said power cylinder, and means controlled by the position of said positive coupling means for rendering only one of said control means operative at any one time.

6. In a hoisting apparatus having in combination a spooling drum drive element, a power takeofi drive element adapted to drive a rotary machine, a drive means including coupling means to selectively drive either of said elements, dual control means associated with said drive means, one of said control means being adapted to operate the drive means through the drum drive element, the other of said control meansbeing adapted to operate the drivemeans through the power take-oi! drive element, and means to render the latter control means inoperative when driving the drum drive element.

7. In an apparatus of the character described, the combination of a spooling drum drive element, a power take-oil drive element, drive means including a fluid pressure actuated clutch and positive releasable coupling means adapted to operatively drive either ofsaid elements, actuating means to selectively actuate the positive coupling means, control valve means adapted to supply fluid pressure when driving one element, a second control valve means adapted to supply fluid pressure when driving the other element, selector valve means operatively connected with both control valve means and to said fluid pressure actuated clutch, and selector valve operating means responsive to the position of the actuating means .ior rendering either of said control valve means clutches, substantially as described. 4. In a rotary-drilling rig,-a-drawworks having in combination a drumshatt assembly comprising a spooling drum mounted on a drumshait, a lineshaft, a pair of rotatable members each rotatably mounted coaxially of the drumshaft assembly, drive means including a releasable friction clutch associated with the lineshait whereby the lineshaft may rotate one of said members, power transmission connections operatively connecting the other 0! said members to drive a driven mechanism, positive coupling means selectively operable for connecting said members together to rotate as a unit or for connecting the first named member to the drumshaift assembly whereby the drive means may be selectively utilized tor-driving the driven mechanism or for rotating the means inoperative.

5. In a rotary drilling'rig including a drawworks having a drum mounted upon a drumshatt, the combination of a driven element rotatably mounted coaxially oi the" drumshatt, a power transmission member, means including a friction clutch associated with-said power transmission member adapted to rotate said driven element, a power take-oft element rotatably mounted coaxially of the drumshatt, positive coupling means sive to the position of the actuating means for rendering either of said control means operative and the other inoperative.

9. In a well drilling apparatus, the combination of a spoolingdthm drive element, a power takeoff drive element, drive means including a releasable drive clutch and selective coupling means adapted to operatively drive either of said elements, said coupling means adapted at one time to remainv in operative driving relation with the spooling drum drive element during the operation of "going in the hole, and adapted at another time to remain in operative driving relation with v the power take-oil drive element during the operation of coming out of the hole," means operatively associated with the selective couplingv means and the drive clutch to control the driving 01' either element to the exclusion or the other, during the .respective operations, through the drive clutch.

FORREST J. YOUNG. 

